Wichita eagle., 1887-07-31
pR1NC1PLE VERSUS DIRT.

fhkNO1fAG VGh0O6 O1R4s
The presidential contest OF 1888 will I'M
doubtedly be memorable one In the his
tory of this country. With the knowl
edge that the majority of the voters OF the
country have faith in the principles OF the
Republican party, and that the presidency
was lost in 1884 by mere accident, the
Republican party is eager for the fray
Whether the contest Will be one
of principle in which statesmen will come
to the front and argue in logical way the
political issues of the day, or one OF those
personal, slanderous bushwhacking cam
peigns which put statesmen in the ranks
and make commanders of blackguards de
ponds altogether on the result Of the
council of war now being held in the
Democratic camp. Whatever may be said
against the southern people it cannot be de.
MED that their proper estimate of honor
| always renders a contest of the latter sort
| highly distasteful to Democratic leaders OF
that section. Hence, whenever an opinion
is expressed by leader in the south it is
always in favor of meeting the Republican
party squarely on the tariff issue. Demo
cratic leaders In the south do not hest
tate to say that they think protec-
ton of American Industries Is
q wrong theory, snd that a high protective
tariff is an injury to the business interests
of the whole country. The theories of he
Re publican party, on which it is willing to
go before the country is directly the oppo-
site of this. If the influence of southern
Democrats prevail in the councils OF their
party it is plainly to be seen that the COM
ing contest will be fought on principle.
The intellectual giants of the two great
parties will outline the campaign, and it
will become historic Southern Democrats
have convictions and they are always ready
to defend them in the press or on the plat
form. All the great contests in which the
Democratic party has engaged when the
issue has been one of principle, whether
1t was tie subject of states rights, the an
nexation of Texas or the extension Of
slavery her chosen leaders have been Of the
south. They have not been of the north.
When the Louisville Courier Journal says
that they are willing to meet the protec-
tionists in their strongholds" it rep
resents the convictions and spirit of the
Democratic leaders of the south,
and when the Kansas City Times says:
tThe Democrats will fight for power. In,
they propose to stay in. Do not mistake
the temper of the Democrats. They mean
to win. Victory has many roads which
lead up to it, but whichever is the surest
will be taken, no matter which, so only the
goal is victory, it just as truly represents
the motives which prompts the leaders of
the Democratic party of the north. All
talk of giving the South place on the
Democratic ticket is useless. Southern
Democrats want the offices. but like the
Republicans, they want them as means
to carry out their policies. AS long as the
South can have their policies carried out
they will consent for the North to furnish
the presidents. Since the close of the war
the democratic party has been managed by
northern leaders The result has been no
honest opposition to the policies of the
Republican party. bat presidential contest
have narrowed down to mere scrambles
for office However anxious the Repub-
lican party may have been that this con-
test should be different a, battle for the
supremacy of Republican principles could
not be fairly waged when their opponents
refused to meet the ISSUE The Repub-
lican party has thrown down
the gauntlet it., has even tainted
the Democratic party in that
it followed in the footsteps
of the Republican party, camping
upon ground which the Republican party
had long since passed. That it had ceased
te be party of principle, and come to be
merely patty of obstruction. 1t was
owing to the refusal of the Democratic |
leaders to take an intelligable stand on the
political issues of the day, that the cam
paign of 1884 degenerated into disgrace.
full affair, In which the success of one party
seemed to depend upon its ability to fish
from the scandle sewers of Buffalo all the |
particulars of an unfortunate woman's |
shame, and of the other its ability to de-
cipher the dates on weather heaten monu- |
ment in Main, erected to mark the resting
place of an innocent babe Such cam.
oaigns are disgrace to the intelligence of
he American people, and it is to be hoped
hat the influence of the Democratic leaders
n the south will prevail in the councils of
hat party, and that the contest of 1888
will be fought on National issues.
RESTORE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY